Honey Cake

With its velvety chocolate glaze and snowy flakes of sea salt, this dressed-up honey cake is perfect for Rosh Hashanah. It's equally ideal for any other occasion or celebration, whether its a dinner party, an impromptu gathering of friends, or a school bake sale. It's that simple—and that good. Dont be surprised if people start pestering you for the recipe after their first bite.

Transfer cake to a cake plate and slowly pour the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. If desired, let the cake stand at room temperature until glaze is set.

Just before serving, sprinkle glaze lightly with flaky sea salt, if using.

Cooks' notes:

•Nonstick baking spray: Normally, Im not inclined to use nonstick baking sprays, preferring to line the bottoms of greased cake pans with parchment paper, then greasing the paper and flouring the pans to ensure that the cake releases easily from the pans, but the design of a Bundt pan makes that method impossible. While developing this recipe, I had a disaster when the top half of one cake remained in the Bundt pan when I tried to turn the cake out (and I thought I had really played it safe by using a well-oiled nonstick pan, albeit an old one). On my next attempt, I turned to the nonstick baking spray, and since then, it has worked like a charm.
•Measuring oil and honey: Both should be measured in a liquid measuring cup. The oil is listed first, because if you measure the honey in it afterward, without washing the cup, the honey will slide out easily, with barely any help needed from a rubber spatula.
•Inverting the cake onto a rack: The best way to do this is to place a rack over the top of the pan, then, holding the rack and pan together, flip the cake pan and rack over so that the cake can slide safely out of the pan onto the rack.
•Chopping chocolate: The easiest way to chop chocolate is with a long serrated bread knife. Or you can break the chocolate into squares (if you are using a bar) and pulse it in a food processor.

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Reviews

Family and friends thought this was the best honey cake ever!
Will say that I wanted a more traditional look/taste, so skipped the chocolate, and took another commenter's suggestion to use the Fudge Orange-Zucchini cake glaze, which is mixing 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, and 1 tsp vanilla, and then pouring and brushing all the sides.
To up the citrus, used orange blossom honey.
To prevent sticking - used Vegalene spray (works much better than supermarket brands) and then placed the pan upside down while making the cake so the oil dripped down instead of collecting at the top of the bundt.
Our family is used to things a little less sweet, so reduced sugar by 1/4 cup, but then was a little heavy handed with the honey. Used grapeseed oil (no flavor), and maybe a tbsp less based on some comments.
The baking time (40-45) was about 5 minutes longer than a usual bundt cake (35-40) at 350, but this is to get that nice dark exterior, and the oil means it will never dry out, and when you brush the dark sides with glaze it's all good. At 42 minutes it was as dark as you'd want.

Nix the Heavenly Honey Cake at my house!
The Orange citrus 🍊 flavor clashed with the dark chocolate glaze.
The recipe called for generous greasing of bundt pan.
Dispite following instructions explicitly, the CAKE did not come out of the pan nicely and I had to cover ugliness with glaze.
6 Reviews
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
SHOW:
Emeril Live
EPISODE:
Louisiana Backroads
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Total Time:
5 hr 50 min
Prep:
30 min
Inactive:
20 min
Cook:
5 hr
Yield:10 to 12 servings
Level:Intermediate
Ingredients
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 cups crumbled cooked cornbread
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
1 (4 to 5-pound) beef brisket, trimmed
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 (12-ounce) beers
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Directions
Combine the flour and oil in a cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a roux is formed that is the color of peanut butter. Transfer roux to a small bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, cook the ground beef and pork over medium-high heat until well browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, Essence, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper and the cayenne pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the roux mixture and 1 1/2 cups water and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Add the crumbled cornbread, green onions and parsley, and stir well to combine.
Preheat the broiler to high.
Using a sharp, thin knife, cut a pocket in the brisket from the thin side of the meat. Be careful not to pierce the 3 sides, the top or the bottom. Season the meat on both sides as well as inside the pocket with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons of black pepper. Carefully stuff the brisket with the meat and cornbread mixture, reserving 2/3 cup of the stuffing on the side. Using a large trussing needle and cotton string, carefully sew the open side of the brisket. Rub the brisket on both sides with the vegetable oil. Place brisket in a Dutch oven or roasting pan just large enough to hold the brisket and broil until golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Add the beers and the reserved meat stuffing to the Dutch oven and cover the pan.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and cook the brisket for 2 hours. Uncover the pan and carefully turn the brisket. Bake the brisket, covered, for 2 hours longer, or until the brisket is very tender.
Remove the brisket from Dutch oven and set aside, lightly covered with foil, to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. (Brisket will carve more easily when cooled.) Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop and cook the drippings until reduced to a gravy consistency. (Depending on how airtight your pan is, you might not need to reduce the cooking liquid at all.)
Serve the brisket with the pan juices.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2004
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/beer-braised-stuffed-brisket-recipe.html?oc=linkbackt

OMG, crazy good. This almost uprooted carrot as my #1 cake. I cut back the oil to a scant cup, cut the sugar to 3/4 cup, didn't have ginger so added some cardamom and used lemon peel instead of orange. Don't leave out the coffee, it really adds to the flavour. I baked them in mini bundt pans for single servings. The crumb is superb and the flavour is wonderful. I skipped the glaze, too much sugar ruins alot of cakes for me. To those who are happy with the 'blind follower' philosophy of cooking, I will leave you to it. To me, half the fun of this website is reading about what other people have done.

Lol, have to agree with the last comment. The person who wrote "I just made this as muffins" . . . well, no. You made some recipe you invented as muffins, because it sure doesn't resemble what's listed above.

People who so dense as to write reviews that really aren't reviews at all. People these days just kill me... Just what a cook loves is to read your "review" of their recipe, only to find out that you didn't follow the recipe at all. Why T H bother.... that's right, all you want to do is try to one up the original recipe.
I suggest you do a search on how to properly give a review... smh.

I just made this as muffins. They are delicious, I just didn't care so much for the glaze honestly. I think the cake (or muffins) are better on their own.
I made a few changes though:
- I used half whole wheat flour to make it healthier
- I got rid of the coffee. I hate coffee. Instead I added a little under 1/4 a cup of dark chocolate.
- I didn't use any sugar or corn syrup, all honey (cake and glaze). I used 1 1/2 cups of honey on the cake.
I would however use a little bit more spices and orange zest if I were to make it a next time. I think walnuts or almonds would be great too. No glaze.

Did not use glaze..saw no need for it. It is an assertive spice cake. That gets spicier as the days go on. My major complaint is the amount of oil one has to use. Rather than making the cake moist, it tips over to oily. This cake has real possibilities and would be my go to cake if I could figure out how to use less oil and substitute applesauce or something else to keep the moistness.

I made this recipe exactly per the directions, except for adding an extra egg. Baking can be challenging is Tucson-things generally come out too dry. This is my favorite honey cake recipe I've ever made and I've been trying them for Rosh Hashanah for years. My husband, who doesn't like honey cake, liked this one. My family loves chocolate and we did like the chocolate glaze. The dark choclate glaze was the perfect contrast to the cake.

Although I haven't tasted the cake yet (it's still hot), it baked amazingly. The fragrant smell of orange peel permeated the kitchen. The cake rose perfectly. My only regret is that I didn't adjust the cooking time down by a few minutes because the bundt pan I used has a darker finish. I haven't taken it out of the pan yet, but the outside looks darker than I would prefer. I've read some of the other comments regarding the glaze....what about an apple glaze? Since traditionally I've read that people celebrate by eating apples and honey also.

I made this cake for my Mom's birthday and New Year's Eve. Everyone liked it. However, the recipe does not say at which temperature to bake it at, so I baked it at 350 for 45 minutes. I had to get ready for New Year's Eve, so I left my Mom in charge of watching the cake. She said she tested it when the timer went off, and it came out clean, so she took it out. However, though the inside was moist, I found the outside to be too dry, almost a bit burnt. I think that if I make this cake again, I will put it in at 325 and see if that imporves things. Like other reviewers, I found the chocolate glaze to be a little weird for this cake, so I made a honey glaze with some honey and butter. Still, it was difficult for me to detect the flavour of honey in the cake. My Mom, on the other hand, said that she could taste it. The thing that I love about this cake is that it is dairy-free, as I am lactose intolerant. Also, it is lighter than the usual chocolate fare.

Wow! I'd never made a Honey Cake but my 4 year old was determined to make one. We were not dissappointed. After reading other recipes I made a couple of successful modifications. No sugar, increased honey to 1 1/4 c. Traded cloves for nutmeg and added cardamom. Used lemon zest. Also put a hone/butter glaze. 2 T butter, 1/4 c honey. Boil lightly and pour slowly over cake. "Mommy my tummy really likes it!"

This cake is lovely, but much too sweet. The equal parts sugar and honey simply overpowers the delicate taste of the honey. So to compensate, I cut the sugar in half, and still used the one cup of honey. The chocolate glaze also is much too strong for the delicate honey flavor. Instead, I made a honey glaze with 2 tablespoons of grated orange peel, 1/2 cup honey, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. I reduced this in a saucepan, and drizzled it on the cooled cake. It was really nice. The cake is also surprisingly lighter, and springier in texture than I thought it would be. Very good.

I made this recipe for Rosh Hashanah
and everybody requested the recipe.
It was wonderful the same day and
improved over time. I forgot to add
the orange zest in the mix, so I
sprinkled it on top of the finished
glaze, which had quite a pretty
effect. The glaze was not as
pictured; it was exceedingly thick
and did not drip over the side
properly. Next time I will shorten
the cooking time and if that does
not work, I may use something else,
such as agave syrup, in lieu of the
corn syrup.

I have rarely met a cake I didn't like, but this one just wasn't good. Super dry - completely lost the flavor of honey. And the chocolate glaze was completely overpowering. Won't be making this one again.

I bought a bundt pan several years a go and my first few cakes were really dry on the outer edges and I had no desire to make cakes with crusty hard edges. But I thought I'd revive the pan and look a recipe where others commented on a moist cake. This recipe is a winner! I followed the recipe exactly. I am not a frosting fan and I ate the cake plain. It is moist and flavorful. My husband topped his with mango sorbet. Although it is called a honey cake, I will agree with others that it should be called a spice cake. The cake is sweet, but not overly sweet. But for me, the cake reminded me more of a pumpkin spice cake. I really couldn't taste the coffee or orange flavor. I used instant coffee dissolved in hot water. Next time I want more coffee flavor so I will increase the coffee strength, add more zest, and decrease the spice just a bit. Will definitely make this cake again.

We really enjoyed this cake (made it for New Year's in my family's tradition). This was a great recipe! The cake was very light and had a great texture. It also was browned and chewy on the outside and soft and light on the inside. I disagree with some of the other reviews, I thought this had a nice honey flavor supplemented with warm spice tones. I agree with others that the chocolate glaze seemed wrong so I used a honey glaze instead. Very tasty.

A really dull concoction, and the chocolate 'glaze' was an unnecessary distraction. Mine was not as moist as I would expect from a honey cake. Spraying the bundt pan with oil in advance was a good tip.